How Much Money Do You Have to Earn in Order to Achieve Happiness?

Have you ever wondered how much money it would take in order for you to be happy - I mean REALLY HAPPY? And is there a point or an earning level where your happiness can actually start to drop or go backwards? Would you believe there is.

According to a study done through Purdue University and the University of Virginia, in order to achieve full happiness you have to make $95-thousand a year. That's the point where individuals reach "peak satisfaction with their lives." If you want to aim a little lower and settle for emotional well-being, it's between $65-thousand and $75-thousand.

How researchers came up with these figures is they used data collected through the Gallup World Poll, which gathers information from people in 164 different countries.

One of the more interesting aspects of the study found that once you reach that $95-thousand a year level, anything over that and your happiness actually starts to drop.

Researchers guessed it was because once your needs are met - being able to pay down debt and afford certain things - your focus changes. You begin to dwell on "social comparisons" - which isn't healthy for anyone.

To read more about the study and what not to do should you ever reach that $95-thousand a year level in pay, go to the Forbes website.